Opinion & Analysis
Hello USGA, we need to talk….
It’s me, the amateur golfer.
We haven’t spoken in a while and I’ve been trying to reach you. I know you’ve had a lot on your mind lately and I feel like maybe I’m not at the top of the list of your callbacks, so I decided to send you this letter. I hope it finds you well.
You know and I know that people can drift apart sometimes. I know you’ve had a lot going on lately with work. First, I’d like to congratulate you on all of your recent success. I watched your U.S. Open this year where the winner, Brooks Koepka, earned $2.16 million. I read that this is the first time a winner’s share in any major tournament had exceeded $2 million! And in your Open! That is an impressive amount! I also read the total purse was more than $12 million. That’s also getting up there, isn’t it? I mean in 1996, the year before Tiger Woods won his first major, the total purse was only $2.4 million and the winner’s share was a hair over $400K.
You’re primetime now. Places like Chambers Bay and Erin Hills basically build courses just for you. You’ve really made it when guys start doing that, and now with that TV and sponsorship money… I mean five times the purse from ’96! Wow! And it’s not just Koepka! I read in Forbes that Roger Federer recently surpassed our old friend Tiger Woods as the top earner in individual sports with more than $110 million in tournament earnings. Tiger hasn’t even played much since 2009 and he was still No. 1 eight years later! Pros in your sport are doing really well. LOTS of money out there in the pro game. Your game, after all.
But it’s just… I feel like you don’t notice me anymore no matter what I do. I didn’t want your public success to affect the nice thing we had going, but lately that’s what it feels like. You’ve been making these comments; you’ve been talking to our friends like the media and saying hurtful things. You never did this in 1996, and your research printed in Golf Digest shows I wasn’t all that different back then. Please know that I have been trying to better myself though. For instance, I started using wider and squarer grooves hoping to get better for you… but I really didn’t. You didn’t notice my grooves though until THEY started using them. THEY started calling it things like “bomb and gouge” and saying it changed things. I never felt it changed things for me, and I didn’t think it changed things between us. Then you stuck the dagger in me again USGA, because for years I’d been trying to better myself by anchoring putters to my body. Again, not much success.
In 20+ years, my average index dropped from 16 to 14.5. That’s progress, but not enough to change me completely. I didn’t think it was enough for you to notice. But you noticed Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott for using anchored putters, didn’t you? Then you told me it wasn’t working out for us.
I have to be honest. It hurts. But again, I try to stay positive and think there is a future here. But now I see you in the press saying that I hit the ball too far and this is ruining things again. Talk about sending me mixed messages! Didn’t you tell me last year that I should “Tee It Forward” to help things between us? The next year you’re telling our friends that I hit it too far and am causing a “horrible impact” on your game because you have to lengthen courses? Why was I teeing it forward? Trackman says my average drive is 214 yards! Or were you talking about THEM again? Do you remember me USGA? Do you think about me anymore? Because I’ve been to all of your 11,000 public courses. Tell me how many of those you’ve lengthened because of me.
It’s not like I don’t do anything for you, USGA. I spend more than $2.5 billion on your game. You want to ignore me for the glitz and glamour of THEM, but it’s me who makes you what you are. Without me, you don’t have your sport. You don’t have your TV crews or your U.S. Open bids. You don’t have your “open doctors” adding 600 yards to a course that you’ll eventually say “I” made you lengthen. And you know what? There are 20 million of me, and it’s ME who generates interest in your game. I got 2.2 million people trying your game for the first time in 2015. I got 37 million people saying they were interested in playing your game that same year. These are some of the highest numbers ever, and you ignore ME? You ignore me for Dustin and Jordan and Rory?
Don’t push me anymore USGA. People change and things can change, but remember I was there for you in the beginning and helped get us to where we are. Please remember that before you do anything that really hurts me.
Sincerely,
The Amateur Golfer
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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Golf's Perfect Imperfections
Golf’s Perfect Imperfections: Amazing Session with Performance Coach Savannah Meyer-Clement
In this week’s episode, we spent some time with performance coach Savannah Meyer-Clement who provides many useful insights that you’ll be able to implement on the golf course.
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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Donn Rutkoff
Dec 14, 2017 at 2:49 pm
Since you are Canadian you might under appreciate the following.
I think the USGA which holds about 5 national championship events (men, women, junior, amateur etc.) should Fly The Flag of the U.S.A. and start the tournament with playing The National Anthem. (Colin Winkydink of the NFL go take a leap. Tiger is no angel but he gives back to the community more, way more, than selfish Colin.)
A player should NEVER go backwards to play from previous spot. Just drop a ball take a stroke no matter what happened to the shot in question.
And USGA and PGA should NOT let Charlie Hoffman merely take a drop in sand due to whatever reason. He should play from a same lie. The official should have been authorized to bury his new lie in the sand the same depth he moved from.
Eric
Dec 11, 2017 at 7:45 am
LOL. What a funny article. I don’t think the author of this needs to complain about belly putters, square grooves, or longer distances when he has improved his handicap by 1.5 over a 20 year period. My best advice is to head to the putting green with a regulation putter for an hour or two whenever you feel like writing a sorry message to the USGA again
Norman Light
Dec 11, 2017 at 12:53 am
What we really need to talk about is the cost of golf. Golf companies are making the game for the rich people not the average person. One company you could buy a set of clubs for $20,000 And all the other companies you could pay between $900-$2000 what average American has that kind of money with a family of four this is totally totally stupid company need to get real and quit making millions and millions of dollars on the golf world thank you
Underachiever
Dec 9, 2017 at 9:51 am
I wish I hit the ball too far…
Michael
Dec 9, 2017 at 8:34 am
Excellent letter. All the golfers here who claim to be single digit should take note too. WE ARE ALL the game, not just one segment. The changes coming in 2019 are great, but there is no excuse for it to have taken this long. In the same vein, what is wrong with certain rules regarding the ball and other equipment that apply to the pros or USGA sanctioned championships?
Bob Racho
Dec 9, 2017 at 7:58 am
Good letter. I am an 80 year old golfer and love the sport. I have decided to F the rules, and play according to mine. They are common sense rules that all of us senior golfers should be happy with. Anchoring the putter helps my back and will let me play a few years longer. I do not wish to hit out of a bad lie, so I move the ball a few inches to a better one. I value my clubs and do not wish to ruin them by hitting a tree, so I move that ball to get away from that problem. I play from the forward tees and have enjoyment from hitting some clubs that I haven’t hit in years. I now use ALL of my clubs including my wedges.
I play public course and respect them all even if they aren’t as pristine as the private courses that the pro’s play on. I repair my ball marks and two others on each green, and divots as well. If our players did this our courses would be in way better shape and approach the private courses that are so pristine. I count my shots. The most important thing to me is to play with integrity to the sport that I wish to play, and that includes the changing of some idiotic rules for us older golfers that will allow us to play will into our 80’s.
So, to the USGA, you best make a change in the rules for the older golfers who are an integral part of keeping public golf courses open.
AJ
Dec 9, 2017 at 4:52 pm
Way to go Bob. I’m in the same mood as Bob is. However, I accept the challenge of honest play and do not
Move my ball regardless. Exception: local rules. Perhaps in 10 years I will agree with Bob completely.
Lock
Dec 14, 2017 at 6:06 am
“Make Golf Fun Again”
Crazy About Golf
Dec 14, 2017 at 11:34 pm
Bob, you’re the man! I agree….unless you are recording a score for handicap purposes or playing in a tournament (or for money with your buddies), play by YOUR rules (within reason). If you want to improve your lie in the rough, do it. If you want to move your ball out of a divot, do it. If you prefer to pick up when you’re within 2 feet of the cup, knock yourself out! This game is also meant to be enjoyed. Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously and it seems that the USGA isn’t helping.
Paul
Dec 9, 2017 at 6:16 am
When it rains at my course and the ball gets a bit dirty, I have to ‘play it as it lies’. How come THEY get Lift, Clean and Place whenever conditions aren’t perfect?
Have you ever noticed that you never see TV dootage of them cleaning their ball on the fairway?
Joe sixpack
Dec 8, 2017 at 6:31 pm
I agree with the spirit of this article. And I would add a couple things to it. First, equipment. The reason courses are too short for the pros now is because the usga totally failed to prevent drivers and balls from going way the f— too far. Changing the grooves on wedges was a moronic approach to this issue. The usga is in bed with the equipment companies and they need promises of greater distance to sell new drivers every six months. The usga allowing this is a corruption of the game. Second, technology. The usga have been Luddites when it comes to understanding and embracing technology. For years they kept distance measuring devices illegal. Why? Is pacing off yardages from sprinkler heads a skill that golf should test? Just let everyone use a laser and speed things up. They seem to understand this finally but it took 20 years. Technology isn’t going to slow down. New stuff is coming constantly and they’re too old and stuck in their ways to get out in front of it and make informed choices about which technologies are good or bad for the game.
Bill F
Dec 8, 2017 at 5:32 pm
I wish we could all sign that letter and truly send it!
Marc Halley
Dec 8, 2017 at 5:14 pm
Excellent article. Right on the money. Thanks much.
DaveT
Dec 8, 2017 at 3:26 pm
The article says, “USGA, you only care about the professionals.” Those disagreeing with the articles are mostly saying, “Stop feeling so important. You’re not. The professionals are. Don’t like the USGA rules? Play whatever rules or non-rules you want.” OK, let’s go with the idea that both are correct. The obvious response is for only the professionals to pay USGA dues. If the USGA does nothing for the duffers, seniors, and mid to high HCP — seems agreed by both sides — then let’s see how they get along without them.
Robert Roy
Dec 9, 2017 at 9:09 am
I would not pay money to watch professional golfers hit 260 yard drives. I want to see them bomb it 300+ because bit is what makes them special. Leave the ball issue alone or I think you will lose even more players and interest. The USGA needs to stop speaking for golfers without knowing our feeling.
JDMasur
Dec 8, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Time is the biggest detriment. 3 6s, not 2 9s would make it easier to introduce spouses and kids.play 6, or 12 or 18.
mM
Dec 9, 2017 at 10:47 am
Or, you can just quit golf, and make it easier on yourself and your family.
Sean Foster-Nolan
Dec 8, 2017 at 2:17 pm
Well done Jeff. You have echoed many of my comments, but in a more elegant way.
jd57
Dec 8, 2017 at 2:04 pm
Blaming the USGA for ruining your local round of golf is like blaming the NFL for ruining your neighborhood game of football. Has literally no effect on you. They’re a professional sports governing body, not the local gestapo policing your round.
Scrubby
Dec 8, 2017 at 3:24 pm
Not exactly. The PGA governs the pros. The USGA is for all of us.
John Uphoff
Dec 8, 2017 at 6:51 pm
PGA governs the tours
USGA and R&A govern all golf
Bifercation is present in many sports. Metal bats in amateur baseball
The shorter distance on extra points in football
Several different rules in basketball
No fighting in amateur hockey etc
Golf isn’t for the professional golfer only a very small % of golfers ever shoot par most never break 90
George
Dec 9, 2017 at 10:23 am
Yeah and the should not be. A amateur organization running a professional event is a JOKE.
dbleAGLE
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:54 pm
If you really want to help the rest of us give us a little book of slopes for every green we play and a caddy to confirm the break.
Pros make tons of putts but then again…Pros get tons of info about EVERY putt we lemmings dont.
Dilly Dilly Indeed
mM
Dec 9, 2017 at 10:51 am
Yeah? But then Pros usually don’t ever play as a 4some as we do on public courses, and some public courses send out 5somes. And, the Pros are still playing their rounds in 5 hours with a 3some. With a 4some, it’s a guaranteed 6 hour round. When they play with Ams at places like Pebble Beach in the Pro-Am all the way thru to the weekend, their rounds take 6.5 hours. You really want us Ams to carry AIM point maps? Your weekend rounds will take 7 hours with your regular 4somes.
Chris Carpenter
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:08 pm
If you aren’t using your 14 handicap to pay your mortgage, speaking as “Everyman” may be a bit of a stretch. I’m guessing if [generic] you wanted to anchor your putter to eek out an 86, nobody would care. If [generic] you wanted to hit from a forward set of tees to enjoy your round and leverage your lower irons during a round rather than mid to high, that would be okay too.
Amateurs are not pros and we don’t have to play under the same scrutiny or tight guardrails if we don’t want to. Play a breakfast ball. Carry 17 clubs. Anchor your putter. Play whatever tees you want. [Generic] We may need to take ourselves a bit less seriously as amateurs and remember to just play. If you’re playing in a tournament, play by the rules. Otherwise, literally everything you do on a course is just practice for the sheer enjoyment of the game. My opinion (worth about $0.03) has changed significantly since playing NCAA golf 20 years ago and being a middle-aged father of 3 who just wants to get a round in when I can now.
Oscar Farley
Dec 8, 2017 at 2:00 pm
The USGA should take 15 percent of what they give out to the already millionaire winners of tournaments and help supplement green fees for those of us that simply want to feed our families instead of paying jacked up weekend green fees.
George
Dec 9, 2017 at 10:26 am
Great, Just what the game needs. A Obama spread the wealth solution. The USGA nor anyone else you be paying to supplement anything in your life PERIOD.
Michael
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:08 pm
How about the “Game we call penalties on our selves” A game of honor, integrity and sportsmanship.
Then they say you can’ post your solo games for a handicap!!
So much for trust.
Darryl
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:40 pm
Sorry, I agree with the USGA on that one. When you play alone you’re not playing you’re practicing and those scores shouldn’t count.
B Johnson
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:56 pm
golf is an individual sport, but you cant play a legitimate round by yourself?
anybody who wants to phoney their handicap still can do so
I dropped the handicap …. dont miss it…it is just as legitimate to give a truthful answer to the question “what do you hope to shoot?“ on the first tee
OB
Dec 8, 2017 at 2:30 pm
I agree that solo golf is only a practice round and not playing to register a score with other golfers according to the Rules of Golf.
I play a lot of solo golf in the evenings and I usually play with a 6/7/8/or 9-iron and lob wedge and play 6-12 balls to sharpen my short game. I do carry a full set too, but I play 3 balls over 9 holes (3 x 9 = 27 equivalent holes) because I already know how to walk! And when I do play 3 balls I can play scratch golf, but not with the same ball!!!
😉
Steve S
Dec 9, 2017 at 8:58 am
I play a lot of solo golf. I’m retired and most of my golfing friends still work. That and I really don’t like people. They tend to distract me and ruin the round. Plus I can play much faster which is more fun and better exercise. If I want to register my handicap I will since I count all my strokes and play the ball as it lies. Makes the occasional sub 80 round that much more enjoyable and feel like I actually accomplished something. I’m a member of the USGA…mostly just to get the “free” US Open hat.
Vic Man
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:52 pm
Dilly Dilly! Absolutely agree.
Ma Ja
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:27 pm
My main issue with courses that are pushing the ” Play 9″ initiative is that they want us to play 9, but they want to charge us for 18!!! How about “Play 9, Pay 9”???
Scott
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:31 pm
+1
Al
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:32 pm
I think you need to take that up with your club not the uSGA.
CB
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:22 pm
Jeff, you forgot to say:
It’s me, the Amateur, who pays the greens fees at all the courses and support the courses from closing and help the professionals who run the courses and help them make money from teaching at the courses and driving ranges all across the country.
JJVas
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:57 am
As a 2 hcp, I completely agree. Tee it forward and play fast enough to not enjoy the $$$ you’re putting down… on a course that is now longer and tougher than ever before… but feel bad about your technology while you only get 20 yards on me when you need 60 to compete. Sound right?
Don’t worry, just because every other professional sport is smart enough to have their own rules, doesn’t mean we have to be. As an added bonus, some 25-year old wearing Rickie Fowler pants who gave this a “shank” will always have his lecture ready for you because he has “perspective”. Good luck!
Doug Stiles
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:56 am
Be nice to see what idea he has for USGA to do something better. What exactly have they done wrong. do you want them to send some of the money Koepka won to you so you can play for free???
You are picking low hanging fruit – Go play golf and enjoy the time away from real life.
Chris Carpenter
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:10 pm
Yes. This.
Stephen
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:52 am
Each one of us should Play from the correct Tee box according to our abilities and then it doesn’t matter about course length. I am not in favor of making the size of the hole bigger. If your ball stops within 3 feet of the hole, pick up your ball and pretend your next putt went in and move on to the next hole like most average golfers do or should do, and quit slowing course play for the rest. If you hit eight strokes on any hole, and there are people waiting behind you to play, pick up your ball and move to the next Tee box. Not rocket science. Oh and get take a few lessons, and go to the golf range and practice your putting and hitting other clubs in your bag.
CB
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:25 pm
Or, America could be a bit more responsible like some other countries and force people to have to have licenses to play the game, after having gone through a quick test of their abilities and basic knowledge of the rules and etiquette of the game before they are even allowed to step onto a full-sized golf course.
Shawshankapotomus
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:41 pm
That’s it. let’s create a new licensing bureaucracy. That’s what we need. You can’t be serious.
CB
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:42 pm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_license
Shawshankapotomus
Dec 8, 2017 at 9:17 pm
I wasn’t questioning whether Europe does it or not. I was questioning whether you seriously want to make a game that already has accessibility issues even more inaccessible. I find the idea of a golf license repugnant.
CB
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:46 pm
https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/germany/lifestyle/sports-leisure/golf
DoubleMochaMan
Dec 9, 2017 at 12:23 am
Cool. If I didn’t have to putt out my 3-footers I’d shoot about 8 strokes lower.
Bob
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:35 am
The USGA is disingenuous about moving up. I am 70 years old and have moved to the senior tees. After hitting a 200 yard dive from the senior tee I am still 30 yards behind a 45 year old hitting from the white tees. I am hitting a 7 wood to the greens d the 45 year old is hitting a 7 iron. Yet the USGA in their wisdom requires that I lower my handicap by three strokes when playing against this guy. Thanks for making your game even harder for senior players. Several of my fellow senior players and Ihave Idropped our USGA membership and are not planning on rejoining soon. But as the author said they just don’t care about older players.
Another Bob
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:06 pm
Amen. This could hVe been written by me.
Scott
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:29 pm
Bob, First, it is called a handicap not a handbobmymoney. You get more strokes if you are a worse player. If you like to rake in putts from everywhere and like to have a vanity handicap, then you will pay the price when you bet. And if you play the course shorter you change angles, hazard distances, strategy, etc. Distance is not the only factor. Second, every golfer has strengths and weaknesses. Maybe the guy who hits it further is more wild or has a worse short game. Stop whining about giving up strokes when you are playing an entirely different course, no matter how far you hit it.
Murv
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:46 pm
I agree completely.
HDTVMAN
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:24 am
Just like the NCAA. They are a bunch of know-nothing sliver-spoon-fed high society MORONS who are in it just for their EXCLUSIVE clicky country club trash buddies. They need to go away!
Joseph dreitler
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:47 am
Sorry, but they do nothing special for those of us fortunate enough to belong to private clubs. Until people are willing to accept that the game THEY play is a different game than WE play, it is all talk. If we bad amateurs need to be able to say our equipment must be the same as theirs, we will pound 210 yard drives and flail 5 woods at greens while they hit it 340 with their drivers. MLB players need to use wooden bats because if they did not the ballparks would all have to be extended and rebuilt to 430 feet down the lines and 520 to dead center.
Regis
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:21 am
No one says that the author or anyone else has to play golf by USGA rules. No one says anyone has to even keep score. If your not in a tournament play whatever game you want. I’ve been a member of the USGA since 1986. I’d wager the author has never plunked down the 20 bucks to join. Not even for the free hat. I have some issues with some of ru!ings of the USGA (and the R and A -let’s not forget it’s a joint venture) but overall they do a great job. This “article” is just mean spirited and the fact that the author took up golf fairly recently should surprise no one
Chris Carpenter
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:27 pm
Well said. Not keeping score forces a significant shift in perspective about the game. There are times that it is relevant to score your round, but there are also times when the big picture of a course, layout, how your shots feel, what you are grateful for, etc…is less about score and more about taking in the whole experience and not just 86 measurements of it (if you’re a 14).
Uhit
Dec 8, 2017 at 3:14 pm
How big is the market for non conforming golf equipment (driver, wedges, balls)?
B.t.w.
If you want to grow the game, then you have to listen to the ones, who are the growth:
The newcomers, who joined recently…
…lets say, within the last decade.
And I think it is no good idea, to touch the balls, they grew up with.
ron
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:18 am
The USGA is doing just fine The PROS deserve all the money they earn !! Check out other sports!!
Anchoring is cheating … and never should have been allowed
Steve Cantwell
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:18 am
Leave it to a Canadian to come up with such a far-fetched fairytale!
Philip
Dec 8, 2017 at 12:18 pm
Seriously, as if Americans have never had some pretty far-fetched fairytales … keep countries out of it …
Tbone
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:12 am
Jeff plays at a private course. Enough said!
Wyomick
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:11 am
The USGA are a bunch of Twits. I stopped dating her when she said I couldn’t use my 10 year old clubs in her tournaments. I wasn’t going to buy new ones just so she’d go out with me. I don’t spend any more money on HER anymore.
Bill
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:10 am
If the USGA wants to help amateur golfers, why not make the hole just a little bit bigger. Most of us play on muni courses that have greens that the pros never see. I understand the cost factor with maintaining great greens,but why no help is a little with the size of the hole. It could easily improve scores, which improves interest.
Aggowl
Dec 8, 2017 at 1:39 pm
The pros SHOULD play on imperfect course. They did years ago. NO ONE talks about the course condition being a factor in scoring, NO ONE. IT IS. Look at how putts had to be hit 30 to 40 years ago. It truly is a PUTTING SURFACE. RIDICULOUS!
Paul Vicary
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:01 am
Great article and oh so true. You can see where this is all heading. I see the cliff and hear the roar of the ocean.
Matt
Dec 8, 2017 at 10:58 am
No one at the USGA is saying you, the 14 handicap, hits the ball too far. That argument is so bad it must be purposefully disingenuous.
Chuck
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:20 am
Exactly! And the USGA didn’t want to take your old square grooves away, either. You were allowed to keep them. Because they didn’t even matter, when like most average retail amateur golfers, you were buying Surlyn and Ionomer (not expensive tour-level Urethane) golf balls.
Jody
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:36 am
Yet before long they will change the ball and or the rules because .05% of golfers in the world hit the ball too far. They’ll say it’s in order to uphold the integrity of the game when in all reality they will just be making the sport harder for the majority. Then we’ll again be hearing the apocalyptic whistle about needing to grow the game, all while the USGA is being a major part of the problem! Football, baseball, and basketball all have different rules for the professionals and it doesn’t belittle the game or effect how most people view these sports. Why should golf be different?
Tal
Dec 11, 2017 at 2:41 am
Golf is different because you play the course, not the man so you can directly compare your game to the pros. It loses some magic without being able to do that.
Rich
Dec 8, 2017 at 10:24 am
Right, because they haven’t just spent the last ~5 years rewriting the rulebook to make the game you enjoy easier.
John B
Dec 8, 2017 at 11:01 am
If the USGA is so into the anchoring ban why aren’t they enforcing the rule. It’s quite clear they are still anchoring their forearm to their body. Read the rule, it’s a violation.
Rich
Dec 9, 2017 at 5:57 pm
Oh for goodness sake, give it a rest! 4 stroke penalties are being given out in professional golf costing players tournaments. I hardly think they are going to let players continually violate a rule week in week out withouth penalty.